Multiscale Analysis of Morphogenesis

How does the genetic information encoded in the DNA direct the growth and form of multicellular organisms? The genome directs a cell's biophysical properties and its response to signals from adjacent cells. To analyze how these cell behaviors drive embryogenesis, insights into the collective behavior of multicellular aggregates is crucial. This article describes computational approaches to the study of collective cell behavior. Four examples (cell sorting, angiogenesis, somitogenesis, and root development) illustrate how computational insights into collective cell behavior are incorporated into experimental studies to unravel the mechanisms of development